Serco to operate and maintain the first two lines of the new Dubai Metro.

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20 Jun 2007

Serco Group plc (Serco) has announced that the Dubai Government Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has selected it as preferred bidder to operate and maintain the first two lines of the new Dubai Metro. The first two lines will provide 76 kilometres of track and are predicted to carry 200m passengers per year. The first line opens in autumn 2009 and the second in spring 2010.

The contract will include pre-launch consultancy and planning, starting in the summer of 2007. The operations and maintenance period will then run for five years from autumn 2009, with the potential for a further five-year extension. The contract is valued at more than US$ 795 million over this 12.5 year period.

Serco will run the operations control centre, provide train attendants and all staff at the stations and maintain rolling stock, track and station facilities and brings substantial experience of operating metro systems, including the award-winning Docklands Light Railway in London.

The Dubai Metro is the first in the region and is an important development for the city. Ultimately, it is the RTA's intention to extend the Dubai Metro to more than 300 kilometres, making it the world's largest driverless metro system.

Christopher Hyman, Chief Executive of Serco, said: "To support their significant economic growth the forward thinking government of Dubai continues to develop new and innovative solutions. We are therefore delighted to have been selected as a partner to the RTA and look forward to delivering their landmark service in Dubai's public transport infrastructure. Serco has developed an excellent reputation for delivering quality metro systems and we will work hard to ensure we meet the trust the Dubai Government has placed in us."